It's nice to see these first spy photos of the 2009 Cadillac XLR mere minutes after we just dropped the hot load of Fierenzo. Essentially the Cadillac XLR is a re-skinned Corvette. A drop-dead gorgeous skin, but still a re-skin. So what have we got on the new hotness with two doors from Caddy? Not much unfortunately. Thanks to the Chicago Tribune, we know the 2009 Cadillac XLR will go public in July, but whether that means it'll be revealed or hit showrooms is anyone's guess. Despite some camouflage, these photos from the spy shooters at KGP do show us the new XLR will get an XL-sized dose of CTSexiness with an enhanced "Art & Science" grille and what may perhaps be the same faux chrome vents affixed to the side of the rest of the Caddy lineup. Doesn't matter, we'd still take one. Especially one with the letter "V" at the end. Even more so if they bring out a ZLR-1. Full spy report from KGP below the jump.
It took shimmying up a tree to get it, but we just nabbed our first spy photos of Cadillac's revamped 2009 XLR roadster. Based on the camouflage and the visible body panels, it appears that the updated XLR will qualify as more of a facelift rather than a fully redesigned vehicle. The February 10, 2008 issue of the Chicago Tribune reported that the reworked XLR will go public in July, but that report wasn't clear whether that date specified an unveiling or an on-sale date.
These new shots don't answer that question, but we can get closer to assessing the scope of the XLR's freshening. The camouflage covering the front and rear fascias hides the details, but it's probably safe to assume that the XLR will get some more, much-needed design nuance in line with the latest CTS—since the XLR is still saddled with the rather unpolished look of Cadillac's first-generation Art & Science design language. The retractable hardtop design looks unchanged, as do the doors and rear fenders. The front fenders, however, have an interesting strip of tape just in fore of the doors' front cut lines, suggesting that some type of fender vent could conceivably be in the works to match the rest of the Cadillac lineup.
Expect thorough mechanical upgrades, and an improved interior commensurate with the XLR's place as Cadillac's answer to the formidable Mercedes SL.